David, OK, you're right. Each row is two panels, not four, and one two-panel subarray burned. My mistake, sorry. I have a strong defensive radar about substandard work in our industry, and this is an extreme example of what can happen. This can hurt us all in terms of public perceptions about PV. I have been a bulldog about shoddy or unlicensed work in our area, and have helped to "discourage" a couple of unlicensed companies from becoming established here. It's my shadow side of trying to build a strong industry, and of trying to protect our own company's reputation for quality. Allan -----Original Message----- From: David Brearley [mailto:david.brear...@solarprofessional.com]
Allan, there are 4 modules pictured in the "before" photo, not 8. The after photo show the "good" modules, the ones that did not burn. This suggests there are 4 module each on two separate roof faces. Please have another look at the before picture and count the frames. In the before picture each 250 W mystery module is supported at 4 corners only. They are some sort of large format modules. Nothing I can find online matches these characteristics, especially the superstrate material. Please re-read the homeowner's account in these various postings as well. Sundiego indicates that the module superstrate is not glass, but some other material. Apparently it is a material that melts when exposed to flame. It sure isn't glass, that's pretty clear by the photos and the written account. This does not look like an elaborate hoax to me. It does look, as BB points out, like a potential crime scene, a fraud at the very least. Something was misrepresented to this customer. It's pretty apparent that these modules are not listed and identified for the application. The installation isn't vaguely appropriate. It's just dumb luck-literally-that the house didn't burn down. Clearly the narrator is unreliable, but I don't think it is malicious, just ignorance. The dude's a "solar newbie" and his house caught on fire. That's what it looks like to me. David On 2/11/09, "Allan Sindelar" <al...@positiveenergysolar.com> wrote: One detail I haven't heard mentioned yet and am curious about - the photo of the fire damage appears to show the corner of another west(?)-facing array. I find it curious that the system owner described a 2 kW system made up of eight 250W(!) modules, which are clearly visible in the topmost system photo. There's just a whole lot that doesn't jive in this whole story. Scary to me .
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